


Peppermint Hot Chocolate

by youaremystyle



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 01:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11151618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youaremystyle/pseuds/youaremystyle
Summary: Sehun was never a fan of Christmas.He resented the holiday, actually.That is, until he orders a cup of peppermint hot chocolate from a cute cafe owner on Christmas Eve.





	Peppermint Hot Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> Sekai Christmas!AU. Pure fluff and the slightest bit of angst if you squint real hard and read in between the lines. Around 10.1k words. Enjoy.
> 
> Dedicated to Silver, one of my best friends ever
> 
> (And just so you guys know, there is a bit of studdering, "um"'s, "oh"'s, and ellipses because I"m trying to make it sound and look more like regular life conversation. No one really talks without mistakes and hesitation, so...)

_Fuck Christmas._

 

It was nearing 9 o’clock p.m, and Oh Sehun was feeling anything but jolly as he sulked in the back of a taxi, trying his hardest to avoid any conversation with the creepy yet compassionate driver who had tried to cheer him up earlier.

 

Needless to say, he failed miserably.

 

Christmas in Korea was nothing like the Christmas he saw in Western holiday movies, where these times were filled with family bonding, home cooked feasts, gift giving, caroling, and a sense of collective cheer and spirit. Oh no, Christmas in Korea was a very couple-centric time, making this holiday especially lonely for single young men like himself.

 

Could Sehun have found a date before the holidays? Of course he could have. Sehun was an attractive young man, and many people recognized that fact. He was no Greek god by any means, but did turn quite a few heads.

 

Despite his good looks, however, Sehun was still alone, mainly because of his irrational fear of relationships, particularly with women. Don’t get him wrong, Sehun didn’t dislike women. One of his closest friends was a female, and he felt completely fine around her.

 

However, Sehun just couldn’t seem himself standing next to some girl. Often times, he felt as though he would be the girl. With his lanky build, white skin, pretty face, and shy demeanor, people often compare to a porcelain doll- beautiful, fragile, but so, so quiet.

 

Sehun doesn’t have the nerve to fight back.

 

The only things that truly save him and his masculinity are his height and his voice. Standing at a proud 181cm, he towers over most of his classmates and teachers, barely stopping many bullies from crossing his path. When he does speak, Sehun’s naturally low and calm voice only has to say “stop” once to get them to back off.

 

Sehun wishes he were really more open and outgoing like his close friend from China, Luhan. Outgoing, friendly, and talkative, Luhan is someone Sehun look  up to in so many ways.

 

Though he is always too shy to say so, Sehun really does like a lot of his classmates. He wishes he could talk about music and sports openly with them. He wishes he could build up enough courage to join the school dance team (Luhan assures him he’d make it in a heartbeat).

 

Most importantly, however, Sehun wishes he had the guts to merely start up conversations with people, like in TV shows, movies, dramas, and novels. He wants people to find him interesting and weird, funny and witty, warm and friendly. Instead, he holds back, and as a result, has earned himself titles like “loner”, “wallflower”, and “who’s that?”

 

Sighing quietly and bringing himself back to reality, Sehun turned his head and looked out the window of the taxi, noticing that the snow had picked up quite a bit during his daydreaming. The fall was constant and began to pile up on the ground.

 

“Hey, kid,” the driver’s voice called suddenly, making Sehun jump slightly, “My shift is almost over. Gonna have to drop you off somewhere before I park the car for the night. Anywhere in particular?”

 

Glancing at his knockoff Cartier watch, Sehun’s eyes doubled in size when he saw the time.

 

8:55.

 

“Wow,” he mumbled to himself, looking out the window once again to get a sense of his surroundings, “I’ve been here for a while…”

 

A couple more seconds went by before Sehun finally responded to the man.

 

“Just… here will do.”

 

Nodding silently, the man pulled to the side of the road to let Sehun off. Biting the inside of his cheek, Sehun pulled his wallet from his pants pocket and fished out a generous ₩100,000 bill. He handed it to the taxi driver, who accepted it graciously with an awkward bow.

 

“For letting me loiter in your taxi and, uh, for dealing with my foul mood… Merry Christmas,” he mumbled, quickly opening the door and exiting the vehicle before the man could reply. He turned towards it and gave the driver a quick bow before walking away. The taxi sped off a few seconds later.

 

Sehun stood still for quite a while as he took in his surroundings. The snow was falling heavily- the piles on the unsalted roads and sidewalks measuring up to nearly half a meter. The icy winds would slice through his thin body every few seconds, even with his heaviest coat on.

 

Deciding that he would probably get frostbite if he stayed out much longer, Sehun began to carefully walk down the sidewalk, looking for a small cafe that wasn’t full of couples.

 

Eventually, after turning a few corners and almost falling on his butt a couple of times, Sehun came across a cute little cafe tucked in small corner between a Japanese restaurant and patbingsu stand. There was no one in there except for one fleeting figure, most likely the poor soul appointed to working the Christmas shift.

 

Deciding it was worth a shot (because he was starting to lose feeling in his fingers- curse him for not wearing gloves), Sehun carefully walked over to the cafe entrance and pulled on the door, scampering into the warm building as quickly as he could.

 

Suddenly, a crash was heard from behind the counter, making Sehun jump nearly a meter in the air.

 

“Wh-who’s there?” a shaky voice called, and Sehun could hear the attempts a bravery. He looked down at himself once before looking back up at the empty counter area and replied gently, “um, it is I, Oh Sehun!”

 

Moments later, a male’s brunette head peeked itself out from behind the counter, dark eyes widened in either shock or relief, Sehun couldn’t exactly tell.

 

“You’re not a robber,” the young man mumbled, slowly standing up properly, continuing to eye Sehun curiously. The latter shrugged casually.

 

“I guess not,” he replied quietly, sending the previously scared man a small smile, which he returned.

 

“Sorry about that,” the man mumbled, setting down the rolling pin he had been clutching to bow to Sehun, “a store down the street was just robbed a couple of hours ago, and on Christmas Eve too! So I was, uh, a bit paranoid… I’m all alone here, you know? It gets kinda creepy, especially at night when no one is really out in this kind of weather- ah, I’m rambling again.”

 

The man came out from behind the counter, and Sehun got his first good look at him. He was quite tall, perhaps even taller than Sehun, had slightly darker skin, messy chocolate brown hair, and a nervous smile adorning his lips. He wore black slacks, a white button-up with black suspenders, and a red and green bowtie on his collar.

 

Overall, a handsome young man.

 

“My name is Kim Jongin,” the man continued lightly, his whole body relaxing slowly, “I, uh, guess I’ll be serving you tonight.” He looked around nervously and then back at Sehun, smiling nervously, before continuing, “w-what can I get you this fine Christmas Eve?”

 

Sehun, without even looking at the handwritten menu on the chalkboard above the counter, replied quietly, “a hot chocolate with peppermint will do for now.”

 

Nodding quickly, _Kim Jongin_ quickly made his way back behind the counter and began on Sehun’s order immediately. In the meantime, Sehun had a chance to study Jongin even more.

 

_With that height and deep voice, he’s probably around my age… Probably got stuck doing the Christmas shift because his parents decided that they were more important than him. A little dorky, but damn are those lips nice-_

 

Sehun audibly squeaked when he realized what his mind had said.

 

_What the hell?_

 

“Everything okay?” Jongin asked from the bar, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. Sehun bit his lip and nodded quickly before looking down, pretending to be engrossed in playing with his bony fingers.

 

“Way to go, Sehun,” he mumbled to himself in an almost inaudible voice, thankful that there were cheesy kpop Christmas songs playing softly in the background.

 

Before Sehun knew it, a peppermint hot chocolate had been slid right in front of him, steaming and smelling heavenly. He looked up to see Jongin smiling sheepishly, a cup of something steaming in his own hand.

 

“Mind if I sit here with you?” he asked quietly, his eyes widening slightly, awaiting permission. Sehun couldn’t help but smile as he replied, “not at all.”

 

Smiling broader now, Jongin slid into the seat across from Sehun, steaming cup still in hands.

 

“N-not to be rude,” Sehun started quietly, wrapping his still freezing hands around the hot mug, “but isn’t there a rule against baristas sitting with customers or-”

 

“N-no, not really,” Jongin replied quickly, cheeks heating when he realized that he had cut Sehun off, “sorry… I mean, it is my cafe, so I guess I make up my own rules?”

 

Jongin chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck gently.

 

“W-wait, this is your cafe?” Sehun replied softly, furrowing his eyebrows slightly in confusion. Jongin smiled shyly and nodded, refusing to meet Sehun’s eyes.

 

“My family hasn’t been able to afford to send me off to the university yet,” he replied quietly, smiling sadly as he looked out the window, “like, even with the national educational plans and whatnot… It’s, uh, complicated. Um... I have two younger twin brothers my parents and I have to take care of. They’re both so young, too- just turned 8. Umma works as a primary school teacher, and appa, well...” Jongin sighed before continuing quietly, “appa was in an accident that left him disabled, so he’s, uh, unable to work.”

 

Jongin sighed once again as he took a long sip of what Sehun figured out was apple cider, a popular holiday drink in the west.

 

“I… I’m sorry to hear that,” Sehun mumbled in a genuinely sympathetic voice. He did feel bad for Jongin. The young man looked like he had a lot of potential, academically and socially. Jongin shrugged uncomfortably, and after swallowing the cider, he continued.

 

“I’d rather my family get what they need first, though. To be honest, I’m pretty happy here in the cafe. I get a small paycheck, I’m surrounded by delicious food, and I, uh, meet interesting people like you.”

 

Sehun couldn’t fight the small blush that was creeping up his cheeks as he lowered his head slightly, mumbling a faint “thanks” under his breath. Jongin chuckled airily, but no one spoke again until Sehun found himself asking “what are you brothers’ names?” seconds later.

 

“Jongdae and Jonghyun. They’re both hyperactive and kind of insane. Despite this, my parents and I think they will become singers in some kpop band or something. They both have such strong voices, especially for 8 year-olds.”

 

“Can you sing?” Sehun asked curiously as he took another sip of his hot chocolate, letting the minty zest fill his mouth. Jongin laughed out loud.

 

“Only if you want me to kill your eardrums,” he replied jokingly, “my singing voice is atrocious.”

 

“I doubt it’s that bad,” Sehun replied quickly, smiling, “one of my best friends, Chanyeol, made a little girl cry when he sang.”

 

Jongin choked slightly on his drink upon hearing what Sehun said, trying not to laugh as he coughed rather harshly. Sehun, eyes widened with shock and worry, reached over to pat Jongin’s back rather firmly to try to help him. A few seconds later, Jongin’s coughing did subside.

 

“S-sorry,” he choked out, setting his drink down, “th-that was… funny.”

 

Sehun couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath as Jongin calmed his own.

 

_Cute._

 

Sehun kept a small smile on his face as he drank his hot chocolate in silence, but his heart and mind were racing.

 

_Is this what it feels like to meet new people? I can’t believe Jongin laughed at what I said! I actually can’t believe I’m talking so much. I’ve never spoken so much in one sitting, especially with a stranger._

 

“So.”

 

Jongin’s voice brought Sehun back to reality, and the latter looked up at his new friend- is he my friend?- curiously.

 

“What brought someone like you to my café this late Christmas eve?”

 

“Someone like me?” Sehun replied quietly, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Surely Jongin didn’t mean that in a bad way, right?

 

“W-well,” Jongin mumbled quietly, averting his eyes from Sehun, “you’re an admittedly handsome guy. Shouldn’t you have an arm around your girlfriend at some expensive restaurant or something? I mean,” he awkwardly looked around his modest café, biting his bottom lip gently, “this isn’t exactly a high-end, date-worthy place.”

 

Sehun chuckled lifelessly.

 

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he replied simply in a neutral tone, neither upset or thrilled by the fact.

 

“O-oh,” the café owner mumbled, pursing his lips.

 

“The few girls I do talk to find me cute and adorable, but never really handsome,” Sehun continued dully.

 

“What? Really?”Jongin replied almost too quickly, and Sehun couldn’t help but notice the small blush creeping up his cheeks.

 

“Uh, yeah… Most of them are actually jealous of me in some way…”

 

“Jealous?” Jongin repeated quietly.

 

“Yeah. They’re all like oppa, your waist is so small! Sehun-ah, your legs are so thin! Oppa, your skin is so white! What products do you use?” Sehun finished in an imitation of the girls’ annoying voices, nearly cracking his own in the process. Sighing, he continued. “It gets really annoying after a while. I mean, I wouldn’t mind other guys being jealous of my height or something, but girls being jealous of my, well, unmanly features is kinda a blow to my ego…”

 

“Are you a dancer?” Jongin suddenly asked, biting his lip lightly once again (Sehun deduced that it was a habit of his).

 

“Um, yeah,” Sehun replied quietly, raising his eyebrows slightly, “what gave it away?”

 

“Well,” Jongin replied quietly, “you were talking about your physique, and you have a dancer’s body. Tall, thin, but strong. Uh, I mean, it looks like you’re strong. Umm…” he trailed off awkwardly before finishing, “you walk with a sort of grace that only dancers have and… I’m a dancer too, so I guess I’ve picked up on the signs… Oh gosh, I sound so creepy right now, I’m so sorry…”

 

Sehun couldn’t help but smile at Jongin’s awkwardness and nervous habits. It was quite endearing, to say the least.

 

“It’s fine, I was just, uh, surprised, you know? No one has really paid so much attention to me before, not even my own parents,” he replied, his tone deflating just a little. Jongin’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“What? Really?” he exclaimed, as if he couldn’t believe that someone’s parents _wouldn’t_ pay attention to their own kid.

 

“Yeah,” Sehun mumbled, “they think I’m depressed or angry or something. I don’t talk or go out much at all, so they think I’ll end up being some boring, emotionless recluse who never marries or has kids…”

 

“That’s horrible!” the café owner replied in a shocked voice, immediately shrinking in his seat when he realized what he said, “I m-mean, not your parents, but what they think of you. I…” he pursed his lips quickly, “I think you’re a-actually really in-interesting.”

 

Sehun tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, cheeks warming due to the compliment he had just received.

 

“O-oh,” he mumbled, “thank you.”

 

He quickly raised his almost empty mug of hot chocolate to his lips so that he wouldn’t have to talk about himself anymore.

 

There was a few moments of silence between the two before Jongin said quietly, “wow, the snow’s piled up quickly.”

 

Sehun turned his own head to have a look, and his eyes nearly doubled in size because wow, had the snow fallen quickly. There was easily over a meter or so of snow and it was still falling heavily.

 

“Oh boy,” he grumbled under his breath, pulling out his phone to check and see if he had any texts from his parents.

 

None, of course.

 

“What’s wrong?” Jongin asked hesitantly, grabbing Sehun’s empty hot chocolate mug and his own empty cider mug before standing.

 

“Ugh… Getting home will be a pain in the ass,” the latter replied quietly, looking out the window once again. Despite the dire situation he was in, the snow outside was actually quite beautiful.

 

“Oh,” was all Jongin replied as he set the empty mugs in the sink behind the counter.

 

Nearly another minute of silence passed. Jongin had made his way back to Sehun’s table and took his seat once again. The two made eye contact twice before Jongin dared to speak up.

 

“I,” he began in a small voice, “y-you can stay here if you wish.”

 

“Pardon?” Sehun replied gently, looking up at the cute cafe owner, who bit his lip softly.

 

“I, uh, live in a small officetel-like room above the cafe. You could, well, sleep there tonight if you want. Of course, it’s your opinion, it just looks like the roads are in bad condition, and I’m not sure how many taxi drivers will be out. I don’t really want you walking since you could slip and hurt yourself. It doesn’t help since it’s Christmas and all- and I’m rambling again…”

 

Jongin shut up and grumbled a few unrecognizable words under his breath as he awaited Sehun’s response.

 

“I-I mean,” Sehun replied quietly a mere few seconds later, “if it’s not an inconvenience to you or anything, then, uh, yeah.”

 

Jongin’s mouth quickly formed a wide smile as he nodded.

 

“It’s not an inconvenience at all!” he replied brightly, “I mean, I live alone, so it’s not like I have any family to worry about.”

 

Sehun found himself smiling once again.

 

“Thank you,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper, “you’re very kind.”

 

Jongin pursed his lips into a smile but didn’t respond. The two sat in another comfortable silence, thoughts racing through each of their brains.

 

Sehun couldn’t help but smile to himself at the thought of spending Christmas Eve with a (cute) stranger.

 

_Maybe this Christmas won’t be so bad after all._

* * *

 

“So, um, this is my [home](https://twomiguks.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc_0011.jpg).”

 

Jongin stood out of the way as Sehun quickly slipped his boots and coat off. The latter looked around, curiously eyeing the tiny living area.

 

“It’s not much at all,” he continued quietly, “but it’s cozy.”

 

Sehun merely smiled as he admired the very personalized officetel. There were posters all over the walls- Pirates of the Caribbean, various kpop groups (TVXQ, Super Junior, and Shinhwa were the most predominant), and other pop culture references. He had a black, red, and sky blue theme going on, and it was neither too dirty nor too clean.

 

“I like it. It’s very homey,” Sehun replied after a few seconds, sending a small smile to the cafe owner, who nodded shyly. He showed Sehun around his tiny kitchen, the even tinier bathroom, and then up the mini set of narrow stairs to his bedroom and desk area.

 

Both Sehun and Jongin had to duck their heads a little because of the height, but Sehun was used to this and had no trouble maneuvering around. He had to chuckle quietly when he saw a very juvenile pair of Pororo boxers lying on the ground next to the bed. Jongin audibly squeaked when he saw that Sehun had seen them and quickly kicked them under the bed, his face reddening deeply.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” he mumbled, avoiding Sehun’s amused eyes and he quickly straightened up other little messes, “I, uh, wasn’t expecting company…”

 

“It’s quite alright,” Sehun replied softly, “I like Pororo too, don’t worry.”

 

That comment only made Jongin groan and blush again as the two took a seat on the edge of Jongin’s bed.

 

“You’d better be my hyung, or you’ll be in so much trouble,” he grumbled. Sehun laughed out loud.

 

“For what?” he asked innocently, raising his eyebrows.

 

“Teasing me,” Jongin replied simply, then demanded, “when’s your birthday?”

 

“April 12th,” Sehun replied lightly, “yours?”

 

“January 14th,” Jongin said. Sehun didn’t notice the sly smile forming on Jongin’s face.

 

“Ahh, it looks like I’m the hyung,” Sehun boasted, trying to sound older than he actually was, “looks like you’d better start respecting me more!”

 

“Ah, not so fast,” Jongin replied a bit more confidently, “we didn’t even discuss years.”

 

If Jongin was actually wrong about year, and Sehun was older, he would be in a lot of trouble. However, he had a weird hunch that he was the elder. Something about Oh Sehun screamed baby.

 

“Oh?” Sehun replied, raising an eyebrow, “what’s yours?”

 

“1994,” Jongin replied quickly. Sehun’s eyes widened slightly as the color drained from his face.

 

_Oh no… It can’t be! Jongin acts so young! How the-_

 

“how about you, Sehun?” Jongin continued, his grin growing, “what year were you born?”

 

“Dang it,” Sehun mumbled under his breath, thinking that Jongin wouldn’t hear.

 

“What was that?” the latter questioned amusedly.

 

Well.

 

“1993,” Sehun tried to lie, putting his best poker face on. Jongin didn’t buy it, though.

 

“Oh, really?” he asked teasingly, quickly pulling out his wallet, “let’s compare ID cards.”

 

Sehun was a pretty good actor- he kept his face straight as he retorted, “I forgot my ID at home.”

 

“Liar,” the cafe owner chortled, “I saw you playing with it while you were drinking your hot chocolate.”

 

Sehun couldn’t argue against that. He merely scoffed and avoided Jongin’s eyes.

 

“So, _dongsaeng_ ,” Jongin drawled in an unusually cocky voice, “looks like you have to listen to me now.”

 

“Shut up, _Pororo_ ,” Sehun mumbled back, turning away from the cafe owner. However, Jongin chuckled lightly.

 

“I was just messing with you, Oh Sehun,” he said, poking Sehun lightly in the side, “lighten up.”

 

Sehun, being hypersensitive to touch, especially around his sides, couldn’t stop the little squeak that came out of his mouth. Jongin’s ears perked up at the noise, and his eyes quickly landed on the younger. A lopsided grin formed on his face when he saw Sehun curled up at the side, his cheeks pink, and eyes looking at him nervously.

 

“D-don’t do that,” Sehun whispered, turning his head away once again. Jongin cooed internally at the sight and decided to tease the younger a bit more.

 

“What, this?” he replied, giving Sehun’s side another poke, resulting in another squeak.

 

“Y-yes, s-stop!” Sehun exclaimed in an unusually high pitched voice, leaning back onto the bed and attempting to roll away. Jongin smiled and poked him again, earning both a squeak and a drawn out whine.

 

“Are you ticklish?” Jongin asked teasingly, turning his body and making his way slowly across the bed to where Sehun lay curled up.

 

“What’s it to you?” Sehun grumbled under his breath and he swatted at Jongin’s naughty hands trying to poke him again.

 

Thankfully, Jongin merely chuckled as he withdrew his hand from Sehun’s personal space bubble. Sehun sent the elder a half-hearted cold stink eye, but his insides were warm and tingly.

 

_I’ve never felt so comfortable in my life. I usually hate talking with strangers, and I hate being touched almost more. I’m hypersensitive to everything, I’m moody, and have an inferiority complex._

 

_So why does Jongin make me feel like I’m at the top of the world?_

* * *

 

About a minute later, the two had brushed themselves off, and Jongin went back down to the cafe to formally close down and fetch a few drinks.

 

Sehun, on the other hand, continued to sit on Jongin’s bed, admiring the warmly personalized room. The decorations and posters weren’t overbearing, but enough to show the world about who he is and what he loves.

 

He looked around for a few minutes before he noticed a small black box in the back corner that Jongin hadn’t mentioned at all. Curious, he slowly got up and tiptoed over to the black box, which was not large at all, and sat in front of it.

 

“What’s this?”

 

Sehun, after having a mental argument, decided that it would not be the best idea to infringe on Jongin’s privacy, and merely looked at it, wondering what could possibly be in the box.

 

Maybe they’re embarrassing childhood pictures or memories of a late relative or friend. Or maybe it’s something illegal? What could Jongin possibly own that’s illegal of-

 

“Sehun-ah?”

 

Sehun jumped and shot his head around, surprised from the sudden voice.

 

“H-hyung,” he mumbled, turning his body entirely, “I promise I didn’t look inside! I was just curious…”

 

Jongin, who was holding two steaming cups, sighed slowly and set the mugs down.

 

“Wanna know what’s inside?” he asked softly, walking over to where Sehun sat, “it’s nothing illegal or creepy at all, I promise.”

 

Sehun bit back a small smile and barely nodded in response. Jongin grimaced but complied, and a few seconds later, held the small black box in his arms.

 

“I guess I spoke wrong when I said I’m a dancer,” he mumbled as he sat across from Sehun, fingers tracing the edges of the box, “I… I was a dancer. But not anymore.”

 

Sehun felt his heart clench at Jongin’s choice of words. He had never seen Jongin dance, but he could only imagine how much it meant to him, and to have stopped so early on?

 

“W-why not?” he dared to ask, pursing his lips tightly. Jongin smiled sadly and opened the box, revealing a pair of black ballet shoes, black jazz shoes, some practice shirts and pants, and a few parts of costumes.

 

“Osteoarthritis in the hip,” Jongin whispered, quickly blinking back tears, “I was too, um, stubborn and proud to do any of my prescribed stretches and exercises the previous times I hurt my hip, and that hubris ultimately brought my downfall.”

 

Jongin sighed heavily and gently picked out his black ballet shoes, carefully caressing the soft material as he continued.

 

“It was the evening of my senior recital. I had planned a self-choreographed dance to _Butterfly Lovers_ , a popular Chinese tune. My violinist friend, Henry, was playing for me. Anyway,” Jongin took another breath, “I was the last act, and I was feeling a bit more nervous than usual. My hip, which had been feeling really, really good for those past few weeks, had begun to act up the day of my performance. I, being, you know, stupid, deduced that it was pure nerves, so I ignored it. As I waited backstage, just one or two acts before my performance, shots of unbearable pain began shooting from my hip. I collapsed and actually started crying as a result. It hurt so much, but I couldn’t let it get to me.”

 

Jongin shook his head angrily, pursing his lips.

 

“I was a damn fool to not call my performance off. My best friend who had performed earlier that night, Zhang Yixing, helped me up and got me ice. He pleaded that I back out, that I reschedule my dance for another night, or even turn in practice videos. He begged me not to step onto that stage, but I was a fool.”

 

Jongin had tears running down his cheeks, and he didn’t bother to wipe them away.

 

“I went against my best friend’s wishes. When my name was called for the final performance of the night, I gritted my teeth, wiped my cheeks, put on my best smile, and somehow got to the stage in one piece. No one noticed my pain. Miraculously, my hip problems went dormant once again, and I felt fine.”

 

Jongin let out a humorless chuckle.

 

“It was about ¾ of the way through my performance when my hip pain started creeping back. Mentally, I tried to push it away and keep on dancing. I kept my face as pleasant as possible, but I could see the audience’s expressions begin to change into looks of wonder. Was I doing something wrong? Was I off tempo?”

 

Jongin slumped his shoulders and dropped the ballet shoes to the ground, his head lowering in shame.

 

“It happened the moment I began to do my final fouetté. I still remember it so clearly, as if it happened in slow motion. I lifted myself onto my toes to begin and prepared to spin. As I completed one turn, however, the same shock of unbearable pain shot through my hip, and I collapsed on the stage.”

 

Jongin’s eyes were squeezed shut in pain and anger.

 

“I tried getting up to continue. I mean, I’d fallen on stage before, but I always got up and continued no matter what. I saw myself as a professional. I needed to act professionally. Pasting a painful smile on my face, I tried to get up. The moment I did, however, the quick shocks I felt before became constant, and I couldn’t get up at all. I was blinded by the pain in my hip. I couldn’t move without feeling as though my body was on fire. It was like hell. I… I screamed. I had to let out my pain somehow, and I apparently passed out on stage, causing a panic. The next thing I remember, I’m in the hospital.”

 

Jongin shook his head.

 

“When I woke up, I was hooked up to all these machines with multiple IVs in my arms and hands. The doctors let me know everything that was wrong, especially with my hip. Since I had been stupid enough to ignore my previous doctors’ suggestions for stretches and exercises, my hips never did recover from their previous injuries. Over the years, the wear and tear had built up, and it was at that performance that everything finally gave out.”

 

Sehun took a couple of silent breaths as he willed tears not to form in his own eyes. He was a naturally compassionate person, often putting other peoples’ needs and troubles before his own, which was why he was such a good listener. He would never understand Jongin’s pain, though; he could only imagine.

 

“A-and,” Sehun finally mumbled, “he told you that you couldn’t, you know, dance anymore?”

 

Jongin surprisingly shook his head.

 

“Not exactly,” he replied quietly, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, “he said that if I honestly did all of my exercises and stretches, and took all of my medications on time, within half a year or so, I could ease my way back into dancing.”

 

“But you-”

 

“-didn’t, yes. I didn’t.”

 

Jongin smiled a broken smile.

 

“I found no point in dancing anymore. I didn’t mention this before, but a recruiter from my dream school was there. I was this close to earning the full scholarship I needed. I didn’t care how hard I had to work. That scholarship equaled college, thus this recital equaled college. When I heard that the recruiter had walked out of the building without a word, I knew that it was done. My dance career was over. I couldn’t go to school.”

 

“b-but what about your entrance exam scores? What about those?” Sehun tried to reason. He wasn’t chastising Jongin at all, he was merely confused. The latter simply smiled sadly again.

 

“Oh Sehun, you sure are quite the curious one,” he said, gently tapping the younger’s nose, “I know that you were probably the top of your class, getting into schools like Seoul National and Yonsei, but sadly, not everyone was like that. I’m a pretty well-rounded guy. I know my maths, my sciences, my Korean, my English, and all those other subjects. I’m not dumb. I’m just not a good test taker at all, and unfortunately, the whole system relies on test scores. So, though my class rank was okay, my entrance exam scores weren’t at all. They weren’t enough to get into many good universities, including my dream school.”

 

Jongin, whose eyes were once again filled with tears, looked right into Sehun’s saddened eyes.

 

“Oh Sehun,” he mumbled, “it may be a bit bold of me to say this, especially having only known you for an hour or two, but I really do admire you greatly.”

 

“Huh?” was Sehun’s less than intelligent response. He was definitely not expecting that.

 

“You’re everything I want to be now. You’re from a well off family and have earned the right to go to your choice of university. You are the representation of beauty in this country- tall, thin, light skin, small face… And… You can still dance.”

 

“J-Jongin hyung,” Sehun mumbled, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. Jongin merely smiled another broken smile.

 

“You have so much potential,” he added, “don’t let that go to waste like I did.”

 

“I-” Sehun began in a small voice, not meeting Jongin’s eyes, “I’m n-not as admirable as you’d th-think.”

 

“Oh?” the elder replied simply, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Sehun nodded shyly.

 

“I don’t talk much, nor do I go out at all. I don’t have many friends, and often get, you know, pushed around a little. People taunt me and my blonde hair, questioning it and asking me if I think I think I’m too good for them, like a kpop star. Girls are jealous of me, guys don’t really like me, so I don’t really have anyone. Dancing is really one of the only things I have left.”

 

“I think you’re perfect.”

 

The words left Jongin’s mouth before he could stop them. He quickly pursed his lips and refused to meet Sehun’s wide eyes.

 

“s-sorry,” he whispered, feeling his face grow impossibly hotter.

 

“I… you’re too kind,” Sehun mumbled in response, his own face feeling warmer, “b-but thank you.”

 

A long, surprisingly comfortable silence followed before Jongin said, “let’s forget for tonight.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sehun replied curiously, raising his eyebrows.

 

“Let’s, you know, forget about the world. About our problems. Let’s just be happy tonight. It’s Christmas, Sehun-ah. Let’s enjoy the holiday while it’s still here.”

 

Biting his lip to hide a smile that threatened to break through, Sehun nodded eagerly.

 

_This friendship is better than any material gift._

* * *

 

The pair soon pushed their previous conversation to the back of their minds and prepared for the long night ahead of them. Jongin prepared more yummy hot drinks, and Sehun was given the task of choosing out some sweets and snacks from the display.

 

Sehun weighed his options heavily, and after some intense compare and contrast, decided on some delicious looking cookies, a couple of Christmas colored cupcakes, and a few bags of assorted candies.

 

Jongin, who had been waiting on Sehun for a few minutes, chuckled when he saw what Sehun had brought back.

 

“You sure have a sweet tooth, don’t you?” he said amusedly as the younger carefully placed his snacks of choice on the table before them.

 

“That’s all we had to chose from! I mean, not that I’m, uh, complaining, you know?” Sehun replied quietly, shrugging. Jongin laughed out loud.

 

“We do have a regular menu there, see?” he replied, pointing to the handwritten menu above the counter. There were soups, kimchis, stews, and some basic meat and vegetable dishes written up there.

 

“Oh,” was all Sehun said, pursing his lips when he saw that, “s-sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jongin replied cheerfully, “what’s one night of sugars and fats going to hurt?”

 

Sehun quickly nodded in agreement as Jongin set down a small box on the table too.

 

“What’s that?” Sehun asked curiously, pointing to the colorful box with a weird looking house on the front.

 

“It’s an activity that Westerners do on Christmas. It’s called, uh, gingerbread house? I’m not sure, my cousin who lives in Los Angeles sent it to me. Apparently we’re supposed to decorate this small edible house with candies and, uh, yeah…?”

 

Shrugging at Sehun’s utterly confused look, the two took their seats next to each other.

 

“Ah, of course, it’s all written in English…” Sehun mumbled under his breath as he started to read the box. He could recognize a lot of the words, but many were still foreign, and the text was printed in some weird, somewhat goofy font that made it hard for them to read.

 

“Hang on, my cousin, uh… Looks like she sent a note along with it!”

 

Jongin quickly opened the small paper and read aloud.

 

 _To my favorite cousin Jonginnie_ \- Jongin rolled his eyes- _here’s a small little activity for you to try during the holiday season! It’s called a gingerbread house, and they’re immensely popular here in the States. So, grab a friend or two and try it out! No, I’m not including instructions, because I want to see how much you fail! Send me a picture when you’re done! Good luck~_

 

“Ugh, Amber is such a pain,” Jongin sighed as he took hold of the box again.

 

“Well, there _are_ pictures, kinda,” he continued, eyeing the back carefully, “maybe we’ll end up being okay?”

 

Sehun nodded and smiled before the two opened the package.

 

After they pulled out all of the included ingredients, the two looked at each other blankly.

 

“Um,” Sehun said, gently picking up a piece of the gingerbread house, “I don’t understand?”

 

“We have a couple packages of different candies and some icing, it looks like. Maybe we, uh, have to use icing to hold the house together?” Jongin replied, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Sehun nodded slowly, and within minutes, the two had somehow managed to barely put the house together.

 

“That wasn’t too hard,” Sehun said cheerfully as he reached his finger up to gently scratch his face. Jongin looked up at Sehun, and gave him a small, lopsided grin.

 

“Wh-what?” the younger mumbled, eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. Jongin merely chuckled, reached his hand out, and used his thumb to gently wipe the small patch of icing off of Sehun’s cheek.

 

“So messy,” he teased, winking slightly before turning away and wiping his thumb. Sehun, however, sat frozen in his seat, mind blanking and heart pounding.

 

_Did… did Jongin just wink at me?_

 

Feeling heat beginning to rise to his cheeks for the nth time that night, he shook his head and focused his attention on the colorful candy pouches.

 

“It looks like we just decorate the house now,” Jongin continued normally, as if nothing had just happened. Sehun merely nodded- he didn’t exactly trust himself to speak yet.

 

So, the two spent the next half an hour or so using icing and multiple different candies to fully decorate their gingerbread house. It looked nothing like the flawless, perfect house on the front of the box, but both were content with their hard work. Though it looked as though a little kid had made it, the pair was proud.

 

“I think it looks lovely,” Jongin sighed happily as he admired the house, “I mean, just look at this craftsmanship!”

 

“The precision is impeccable,” Sehun added, giggling into the back of his hand.

 

“Those decorations are out of this world.”

 

“11/10, _would_ eat.”

 

Sehun and Jongin looked at each other for a second before bursting out laughing.

 

“My god, this thing is atrocious,” Sehun giggled.

 

“I think some American kid could do 800% better than us,” Jongin replied, clutching his stomach from all the laughing. He then smiled and carefully picked up the messy candy house, carrying it to the glass case.

 

“I’ll keep this on display once the holidays are over and people start coming back,” he explained amusedly, “with a sign that says _'Created by Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun'_.”

 

“Oh, no, no, no,” Sehun cut in, shaking his head and smiling slightly, “I will have nothing to do with that abomination of a house.”

 

“Aw, come on, Sehun-ah!” Jongin replied desperately, walking back to their table, “don’t call our child an abomination! We never even named him!”

 

Sehun snorted out loud, forcing down the blush that was threatening to form from Jongin’s _child_ comment.

 

“Name? Are you- you know what, fine? Um… How about Hyuk? Sounds like a wonderful name.”

 

“You really are something else, Oh Sehun,” Jongin mumbled, rolling his eyes.

 

“I’m _unique_ ,” the younger replied in a chipper voice.

 

“Yeah, just like everyone else in the world,” Jongin retorted.

 

A long silence followed Jongin’s comment.

 

“Uh, wow,” Sehun mumbled seconds later, “that was actually kinda dark.”

 

“S-sorry,” Jongin replied bashfully, “I, uh, guess I’m verbally impulsive? I didn’t really mean it, either…”

 

“It’s alright,” Sehun said, chuckling softly, “I understand.”

 

Jongin smiled gently and quickly glanced at their gingerbread house before back at Sehun and saying, “what do you want to do now?”

 

_Anything, as long as it’s with you._

* * *

 

Four hours, three peppermint hot chocolates, two games, and one sugar high later, Sehun and Jongin were lying on Jongin’s large bed, curled up under one heated comforter.

 

After the gingerbread house disaster, the two found themselves in an intense Christmas themed drawing contest. Though Sehun prided himself in his mediocre drawing skills, Jongin swept the floor with his effortlessly detailed masterpieces.

 

They then continued onto a Christmas karaoke contest, deciding to sing a mixture of kpop and Western songs. Quickly after beginning, however, they decided to sing together, as they both lacked heavily in singing abilities and would rather bask in their embarrassment together.

 

Somehow, four hours had passed, and the pair had begun to get a bit tired. Over the course of the night, they had grown closer. They had become more comfortable with each other, not afraid to talk and openly tease the other. Jongin and Sehun found themselves smiling and laughing more than they ever had at once, and it was a beautiful feeling.

 

While dressing himself in a pair of Jongin’s pajamas, Sehun couldn’t help but smile. Somewhere in their little Christmas adventure, at some indistinguishable point, he had fallen for Jongin.

 

Perhaps it was during their karaoke session, when Sehun stole countless glances at Jongin- smiling Jongin, laughing Jongin, singing Jongin, embarrassed Jongin… Every little glance made his heart flutter and stomach flip in unfamiliar yet warm ways.

 

Perhaps it was when Jongin hesitantly opened his heart and told Sehun of his most pained memory of losing what was most important to him. Not being afraid of looking weak or careless. Sehun admired his abilities to accept his mistakes and move on.

 

Perhaps it was even as early as their first encounter, when Sehun took his first glance at the handsome young man, all nervous and embarrassed.

 

Sehun couldn’t bring himself to tell Jongin, though. He didn’t even know his preference- they had never spoken about it. Sehun could only hope that he reciprocated the feelings, that those lingering gazes and accidental brushing of fingers meant something more, but he wouldn’t let his little crush get in the way of their blooming friendship.

 

As they lay in bed together, however, Sehun couldn’t stop the flow of words that forced themselves out of his mouth.

 

“You know,” he mumbled as Jongin turned his head to look at his friend, “this has honestly been the best night in my entire life.”

 

Jongin smiled upon seeing the small blush creep up the younger’s ears, but couldn’t find it in him to tease him. Not after something so heartfelt. Instead, he replied gently, “I couldn’t agree more.”

 

A long, comfortable silence filled the air for a while before Jongin spoke again.

 

“Um, this may be a super random question,” he said in a quiet voice, biting his bottom lip softly, “but, uh, have you ever been in a relationship?”

 

Sehun’s heart jumped at the question, and he prayed that Jongin couldn’t hear its rapidly increasing tempo.

 

“I, uh,” Sehun whispered, clearing his throat to try to sound more confident, “haven’t actually been in an official one, I mean, does… ugh. No, not really.”

 

Sehun felt extremely shy suddenly, and he barely managed a “and you?” before pursing his lips once more.

 

“I have,” Jongin replied in a small voice, “one boyfriend and two girlfriends in the past few years.”

 

Sehun couldn’t believe his ears and merely stared at Jongin.

 

A boyfriend? How long ago? Is he still interested, or was it a one-time thing? Is he ashamed of it? Why would he mention it if if he were afraid of what I’d think?

 

“Oh my god… just… forget I said anything.”

 

Sehun quickly snapped back to reality when he realized that Jongin was slowly starting to break down.

 

“H-huh?” he said, furrowing his eyebrows. He was confused. What?

 

“J-just… I’m sorry if I, you know, repulse you or a-anything,” Jongin replied, lips curved downward.

 

“W-why would you say that?” Sehun asked calmly.

 

“M-me having a, you know… boyfriend…” Jongin refused to meet Sehun’s eyes.

 

Oh. OH…

 

“I find it sweet.”

 

That was not exactly what Sehun had in mind to say, but the words escaped his mouth before he could rethink them. Jongin looked back at Sehun with such large eyes that he could rival one of Sehun’s close friends, Kyungsoo, and his owl-like orbs.

 

“R-really?” the cafe owner whispered, his previous frown slowly tugging upwards into a small smile. Sehun reciprocated the smile.

 

“Yeah,” Sehun whispered, willing himself not to blush, “I, uh, don’t mind at all, _really_.”

 

Jongin looked like he was going to cry with relief, and all Sehun wanted to do was hug him for the rest of his life.

 

“O-oh,” Jongin said simply, smiling shyly now, “then… if you don’t mind me asking… have you ever liked, you know, a guy before?”

 

Sehun quickly broke eye contact with Jongin, trying to fight the smile that was threatening to form on his lips.

 

“I do now.”

 

Jongin shifted in bed, which ended up moving him closer to Sehun, and the two were nearly touching now.

 

“Oh,” he replied softly. Sehun noticed the slightest drop in his smile. Curious.

 

“What about you? Who do you like now?” he bravely asked.

 

Jongin didn’t reply. Instead, he looked right back up at Sehun’s face, and the latter had no choice but to look back. The pair locked eyes, but unlike other times, they couldn’t break their gazes. Sehun’s heart began to race again, especially when he noticed how Jongin started to smile again.

 

All of a sudden, a wave of recent memories filled his mind- their first encounter, their conversation about Jongin’s dancing career, the gingerbread house disaster, their drawing contest, the karaoke… And with those memories, all of their skinship. From a little punch on the shoulder to a brush of fingers to wiping food of each other’s faces, Sehun couldn’t help but smile.

 

When he blinked and came back to reality, however, he was met with Jongin’s body and face much closer to his own, not that he minded at all.

 

“Welcome back,” Jongin teased in a whisper, smiling lightly. Sehun returned the smile.

 

“Shut up, _Pororooooooo,_ ” he replied in the same teasing manner, chuckling when he saw Jongin’s eyes widen and cheeks turn pink.

 

“Oh Sehun, you shut up,” Jongin replied, his weak voice not matching his demand. Feeling playful, Sehun didn’t shut up.

 

“Aw, look at you, all worked up and blushing over a cartoon chara- _hey_!”

 

Sehun automatically curled up when Jongin poked his tummy.

 

“That was _hours_ ago,” Jongin mumbled, laughing quietly, “leave me be.”

 

“Psshh,” Sehun snorted to himself, cautiously uncurling his lithe body, “whatever, _Pororo_.”

 

“Excuse me, what was that?” Jongin cut in sharply, boldly reaching out and grabbing Sehun’s waist to pull him closer, “care to repeat?”

 

“Hmm,” Sehun fake pondered, not minding their current position at all, “nah.”

 

“You sure?” Jongin replied, the teasing glint quickly returning to his eyes. He slowly dragged his finger along Sehun’s sides, making the the younger squirm slightly, “because I can easily make you talk.”

 

“Unfair,” Sehun mumbled, trying his best to escape Jongin’s grip. The cafe owner tightened it, however, and kept Sehun close to him.

 

“Not my fault you’re so ticklish,” Jongin replied, letting his fingers dance around Sehun’s sides more, “I demand an apology.”

 

Sehun’s mind was screaming _roll away_ , but his body betrayed him by staying still and reluctantly accepting Jongin’s teasing, letting out little fits of laughter every few seconds.

 

“A-and if I refuse?” Sehun dared to ask, looking up to find himself even closer to Jongin. Despite squirming around and trying to slap Jongin’s hands away, he could now see every little detail of the elder’s face- his deep brown eyes, his lovely skin tone, the faint acne scars, everything. And it was gorgeous.

 

Jongin, once again, didn’t reply. He slowly stopped tickling Sehun’s sides and eventually rested his hand on his waist. Sehun almost sighed at the contact, but managed to bite his tongue and keep quiet. Unlike during their previous silence, the two were unable to keep eye contact with each other for a few seconds before looking away, smiles always adorning their faces.

 

A few rounds of these flirting gazes continued until both simultaneously began to laugh. In fact, they couldn’t stop laughing, for some unknown reason. Sehun’s eyes turned into crescent moons as he tried to control his mouth, whereas Jongin’s eyes shut completely as he showed off his white teeth.

 

“W-what’s so funny?” Sehun managed to choke out as he raised a hand to cover his mouth.

 

“N-no clue,” Jongin replied, reaching his own hand up to gently pry the younger’s hand away, “why?”

 

“Hmm?” Sehun replied, eyes meeting Jongin’s for a fleeting second before he looked away. The cafe owner managed to calm his laughing down so that he could respond properly.

 

“Why do you hide your mouth when you laugh?”

 

Sehun smiled and pursed his lips together, allowing Jongin to lower his hand.

 

“Because,” he replied quietly, clearing his throat quietly, “I don’t like my smile.”

 

“And why’s that?” Jongin asked innocently, “I think you have a nice smile.”

 

“Pshh,” the younger scoffed nonchalantly, though the blush forming on his cheeks gave away his true feelings.

 

“Oh Sehun,” Jongin replied in a quiet yet serious voice, bringing his hand up to gently graze his fingers against Sehun’s soft cheek, “please don’t hide your smile. It’s a beautiful one, really, and smiling can psychologically make you feel much happier.”

 

“O-oh?”

 

“Mmm hmm. Learned that in my psychology class senior year,” Jongin replied lightly, just now noticing that his other hand had never let go of Sehun’s. He bravely gave it a light squeeze, and couldn’t help but smile broadly when the younger reciprocated the act.

 

The two met gazes once again, but this time, neither looked away. Sehun could feel more heat rising to his face, but he was too mesmerized by Jongin’s soft inquisitive look to try to hide it. Sehun’s gaze lowered for a second, noticing Jongin’s Adam’s  apple bob once or twice before looking back up into his deep brown orbs.

 

About six seconds of nothing happening passed before Jongin smiled quickly, leaning in and placing the lightest kiss right on the corner of Sehun’s mouth.

 

Sehun’s cheeks flared bright red as Jongin leaned back, his own face sporting a pretty pink tint, smiling shyly, heartbeat racing. The two met gazes for another second, their shyness quickly taking them over, making them look away.

 

It was Sehun who leaned in next. After just a few more seconds, he took a silent breath and leaned in, placing a sweet, lingering kiss right on Jongin’s lips.

 

As quickly as it came, Sehun leaned back and lowered his gaze so he wouldn’t have to meet Jongin’s eyes. His body was trembling slightly, and his face felt hotter than the sun, even in the dead of winter.

 

“Well then,” Jongin mumbled a few seconds later, clearing his throat to try to clear his mind, “I, uh, guess I wasn’t fooling myself... when I thought that you liked me too?”

 

Sehun’s face flared again as he merely shook his head, not trusting himself to talk yet.

 

“Hmm? Is that no, I’m not fooling myself? Or no, you don’t like me?”

 

“What do you think?” Sehun mumbled, burying his face into a pillow, automatically breathing in Jongin’s scent- an interesting yet enticing combination of pears, musk, and clean laundry.

 

“I think,” Jongin whispered, as Sehun dared to look up, “that you are ridiculously adorable.”

 

With that comment, he quickly kissed the tip of Sehun’s nose before leaning back and smiling.

 

Sehun couldn’t stop the smile that quickly formed on his lips at the sweet act. He averted his eyes for a few moments before daring to look back, only to find Jongin staring back at him with a small smile and a loving gaze in his eyes.

 

Shyness taking over him once again, Sehun looked down, though his smile never left his face. Jongin reached his hand over and slowly lifted his chin so that their faces were equal. Sehun quickly licked his lips before staring into Jongin’s soft eyes.

 

Jongin boldly, albeit slowly, leaned in once again to claim the younger’s lips, smiling shyly as he tilted his head ever so slightly. Sehun sighed almost inaudibly into the kiss, smiling also. He leaned back a centimeter or two for a few seconds before delving back in again.

 

The pair shared numerous little kisses, each one close-mouthed and lasting no more than 3 or 4 seconds. Though the shyness was a factor in that, Sehun had his reasons for starting out slow. He wanted the beginning to be careful, loving, and innocent. He wanted Jongin to love him and take care of him, while also reciprocating that love and affection just as much.

 

Sehun smiled to himself when he felt Jongin lean back, lips ghosting over Sehun’s before leaning upwards and kissing his forehead.

 

“I really like you, Oh Sehun,” Jongin mumbled, leaning back down so that his eyes were level with the younger’s, “you’re amazing and beautiful in so many ways.”

 

Of course, Sehun blushed like a tomato at the compliments.

 

“Can’t compare to you, though,” Sehun replied in a voice barely above a whisper, “you’re an angel on earth.”

 

Sehun wanted to cringe at the cheesiness of his own words, but he meant every single one of them, and when he saw how Jongin’s cheeks and ears turned a pretty shade of pink, he couldn’t find it in himself to do so.

 

“It takes one to know one,” Jongin replied sweetly, letting out an airy laugh at his own cheesiness a few seconds later.

 

“Oh my god,” Sehun said under his breath, biting his lip to contain his smile.

 

A comfortable silence followed, and when Sehun saw Jongin smiling back at him, he couldn’t help but smile too.

 

_I take everything back I said earlier. I love Christmas._

* * *

 

Sehun bit his lip as he stared at himself in the mirror later that morning.

 

He sighed but couldn’t help but smile at the already fading red marks on the base of his neck.

 

“That idiot,” he breathed, blushing slightly at the memory and crossed his arms, feeling his heart beat especially quickly in his chest.

 

The pair had woken up five hours or so later, tangled in each other’s arms and legs. Sehun, being the shyer of the two, had tried to untangle himself from Jongin’s arms, but the latter wouldn’t have any of that, and ended up holding Sehun hostage for nearly an hour after, kissing and tickling and hugging him to his heart’s content.

 

Sehun, of course, quickly succumbed to Jongin’s actions, basking in the floating sensations of being loved.

 

It wasn’t until Sehun’s mother texted him, asking him to come home for some family time, that the two finally got up (reluctantly, of course).

 

Now, looking at himself in the mirror, Sehun could see a few major changes in his appearance.

 

His general expression was softer and more forgiving than his previous cold, stone-like glare. His eyes now had a soft twinkle in them. His cheeks were a little sore from smiling and laughing so much, but that didn’t bother him in the least. He felt lighter and happier than before, as if he were floating on a cloud of some sort.

 

The greatest change, however, was his smile. Or rather, the presence of it. Previously, Sehun rarely smiled, having no real reason to. After this Christmas experience, however, he had every reason to smile. He had someone in his life who liked him for who he was. Someone who wasn’t afraid of him. Someone who found him handsome. Someone who accepted him. _Someone who loved him_.

 

Sehun couldn’t help but smile at the very thought of Jongin- his dorky, lopsided smile, his sheer passion for dancing and music, the softness of his lips, the unworldly beauty of his smile… Honestly, Sehun could go on and on about everything he liked about Jongin.

 

Don’t get him wrong- this wasn’t some infatuation, nor was he blinded by his reciprocated crush. He knows that there is so much more to Jongin than meets the eye, and that their relationship will only continue to grow, through the good and the bad.

 

He understands that there will be aspects of Jongin that he may not like or agree with, but undoubtedly, he will continue to find many more reasons to love and respect him.

 

As Sehun continued to stare off into space, deep in thought, Jongin smiled to himself and snuck up behind the unsuspecting boy, wrapping his arms around the lithe body.

 

“Boo,” he whispered in the younger’s ear, causing the latter to jump nearly a meter in the air, who immediately turned to stare at him.

 

“Jongin!” he hissed, slapping his shoulder, “don’t sneak up on me like that!”

 

Jongin chuckled rested his chin on Sehun’s shoulder, looking at his and Sehun’s reflections in the mirror. Sehun was still giving him a stern look, but all Jongin could do was smile.

 

“What are you so smiley about?” Sehun mumbled, giving the cafe owner a judging stare before looking the other direction.

 

“The fact that I can call you mine,” Jongin replied quietly, turning his head to kiss Sehun on the cheek before nuzzling back onto his shoulder. Sehun scoffed, but that didn’t stop the light blush from forming on his cheeks. “O-oh.”

 

Jongin chuckled quietly and smiled, pressing tiny kisses against the base of Sehun’s neck, causing Sehun to bite his lip and squirm around slightly.

 

“C-cut it out,” he mumbled, nudging Jongin away, successfully breaking himself free from the latter’s grip. Jongin pouted but didn’t try to continue his minstrations.

 

“Fine,” Jongin mumbled, jutting his bottom lip out slightly, “but you owe me ₩15000, you know.”

 

“Huh?” Sehun replied, raising his eyebrows, “for what?”

 

“All of those peppermint hot chocolates you inhaled last night,” Jongin replied, his signature lopsided grin forming on his full lips, “come on, you didn’t really think you’d get them for free, did you?”

 

Sehun pursed his lips and lowered his head, feeling his cheeks burn once again. _Damn_.

 

“Uh, well…” he mumbled, clearing his throat before continuing, “I j-just thought… y-you know… since we’re, uh… together and…”

 

Unable to continue properly, Sehun merely rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, raising his pleading eyes to take a glance at Jongin, who smirked back.

 

“Weeeellll,” he dragged on, taking one big step back towards Sehun, “there _is_ a way you can pay me back.”

 

“O-oh?” the younger managed to squeak out, eyes widening even more. _He better not be thinking what I think he’s thinking_ …

 

“Yeah,” Jongin breathed, stepping right in front of Sehun and placing his hands on the narrow hips before him, “there is.”

 

Sehun audibly gulped, eyes automatically shutting in fear of seeing what would happen.

 

Nearly 5 seconds followed, and surprisingly, nothing did. It wasn’t until the seventh second did Sehun feel Jongin’s lips pressed firmly against his did he open his eyes. Almost immediately, though, he shut them.

 

The kiss was lazy but sweet, neither of them attempting to deepen the kiss much. Sehun physically and mentally relaxed, allowing the cafe owner to take the lead.

  
Five more seconds or so passed before Jongin leaned back, a gentler, more innocent smile plastered on his handsome face.

 

“There,” he whispered, bringing a hand up to gently push Sehun’s fringe out of his eyes, “I gave you a freebee. Fourteen more, and your drinks will be considered paid for.”

 

Sehun flushed bright red once again and hid his face in his hands, and Jongin couldn’t help but smile broadly.

 

 _I never really liked peppermint hot chocolate before_ , Jongin thought fondly, _but after meeting Sehun, I think it may be my favorite drink after all_.

 

And Jongin meant it, especially when he tasted a vague hint of peppermint in Sehun’s breath as he received kiss number 2 out of 15.

 

 _Thank you, Jongin_ , Sehun thought as he leaned back for just a second before leaning back in to place kiss number three on Jongin’s lips, _thank you for everything_.

* * *

 

 


End file.
